from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, KenyaNAIROBI, (CAJ News) – HUAWEI reached the highest level of its global market share in the first quarter of 2019: its sales volumes have increased by half in the first months of 2019, knocking Apple out once again from its position as the second biggest smartphone seller in the world. By all accounts, the Shenzen-based telecom giant should have been on its way to the top, increasing its sales and presence all over the world but a recent turn of events has apparently hampered its dreams of domination.

A few days ago, the US government has declared a national emergency on cybersecurity, banning Huawei and its affiliates from purchasing technology from the US – both hardware and software. As a result, Google, Intel, Qualcomm, and many other companies have already announced that they are cutting their ties with the Chinese smartphone manufacturer.

Google

Globally, Huawei has a 17% market share. In Nigeria, less than 2% of all smartphone users have a Huawei device, according to StatCounter. If you are one of them, don’t worry. You’ll be able to <a href=”https://www.betway.co.za/Betgames” title=”play betgames at Betway on your mobile” target=”_blank”>play betgames at Betway on your mobile</a> and benefit of Google services like the Play Store and Google Play Protect: the ban affects the handsets that are not yet in use. You might run into issues like delayed updates and patches in the near future.

While the millions of Huawei owners around the world will not be seriously affected by this ban, the company itself will be hit hard by it – and so will its suppliers.

“Washington’s decision to force U.S. companies to stop doing business with tech giant Huawei creates losers on both sides,” Huawei’s official Twitter profile read on Saturday. For one, Huawei won’t be able to maintain the equipment it already sold to US customers – telecom companies in US states relying on the Shenzen-based telecom giant for running their wireless and internet infrastructure.

At the same time, Huawei has let the world know that it was prepared for such a situation: it has backup solutions to fall back to, including its own Kirin chips, it has its own app marketplace, and is reportedly working on its in-house mobile operating system as well. But this doesn’t help the companies that built their livelihood on supplying the Chinese telecom giant, though – and there are many of these, both in Asia and in the US.

At the same time, Huawei sees this issue as a temporary setback at worst. “We have already been preparing for this,” said Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei. “It is expected that Huawei’s growth may slow, but only slightly. Policies that threaten trading partners one after another rob companies of risk-taking attitudes and the U.S. will lose credibility.”

Africa and some of the world’s foremost innovators in technology and finance will converge in Cape Town, South Africa next week at the SingularityU Conference

by MTHULISI SIBANDAJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SOME of the world’s foremost innovators in technology and finance will converge in South Africa next week as part of efforts to future-proof the continent into the fourth industrial revolution.

They will meet under the aegis of the inaugural Exponential Finance Summit, organised by SingularityU South Africa, in collaboration with partners Development Bank of Southern Africa, Deloitte and MTN.

SingularityU South Africa has announced more speakers to the programme for the inaugural summit, which will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on May 29 and 30.

“As part of our journey in future-proofing Africa, we are thrilled to have added more incredible speakers to the lineup for our Exponential Finance Summit. We feel a great sense of pride to be bringing these world class experts and thinking to our South African shores,” said Shayne Mann, co-Chief Executive Officer of SingularityU South Africa.

Co-CEO of SingularityU South Africa, Mic Mann, said through the Exponential Finance Summit, they hoped to facilitate meaningful networking connections on a global scale, encourage ideas that could change the financial world, stimulate the South African economy and
kickstart a strong venture capital ecosystem.

“Impact is the currency of the future and these new speakers promise to add exactly that,” Mann said.

Glynn is the co-founder and General Counsel of MobileCoin, a company that provides private, mobile and digital cash payment systems. His talk will address privacy in the world of exponential data.

Kallner, currently the CEO for Discovery Life, and overseeing the group’s Marketing and Distribution, will address the convergence between banking and insurance.

Wierzycka is known for her strong anti-corruption corporate activism in South Africa. She is in high demand domestically and internationally as a speaker on the topic of ethical corporate leadership.

Malinga, who recently returned from Silicon Valley, is part of the Singularity University South Africa faculty with a focus on Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data.

Managing Director of SqwidNet, Malinga is responsible for building an IoT connectivity business in South Africa in partnership with International IoT giant SIGFOX.

In addition to his CEO role, he oversees the solutions division for SqwidNet, a fully-owned subsidiary of Dark Fibre Africa.

As a member of the South African Singularity University faculty, Rosman specializes in machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation.

He is a principal researcher in the Mobile Intelligent Autonomous Systems group at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa.

Rob Nail, CEO and associate founder of Singularity University, said, “We expect that these two days will incite and inspire action that will lead to breakthroughs in Africa’s economy.

– CAJ News

]]>http://cajnewsafrica.com/2019/05/24/inaugural-summit-readies-africa-for-industry-4-0/feed/0‘Business as usual for Huawei in South Africa’http://cajnewsafrica.com/2019/05/24/business-as-usual-for-huawei-in-south-africa/
http://cajnewsafrica.com/2019/05/24/business-as-usual-for-huawei-in-south-africa/#commentsFri, 24 May 2019 03:55:39 +0000http://cajnewsafrica.com/?p=30680

Huawei Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ren Zhengfei

by SAVIOUS KWINIKAJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – HUAWEI, which is contending with a ban from the United States (US), said it had for some time been working to mitigate the impact of the ban on its clients in South Africa.

In a statement, the technology company and smartphone maker, said in South Africa, it would “continue to serve all our customers and partners with the same focus and dedication as before, and contribute to the ICT sector with vigour, as the fourth industrial revolution is a key economic focus for growth and social development.”

It pledged to continue providing security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that had been sold and that were still in stock globally.

“We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally.”

In an interview with a local media house on Wednesday, Huawei Vice President of Corporate Communications, Glenn Schloss, said their devices were “completely unaffected” by restrictions in the US.

“For owners of Huawei handsets in South Africa it will be business as usual,” Schloss said.

He said the company remained positive and preparing for various eventualities.

“We are stockpiling components and have been working with our supply-chain partners for some time,” Schloss assured.

In an interview with Chinese media this week, Huawei Founder and CEO, Ren Zhengfei, was also bold.

“We will certainly be able to continue serving our customers. Our production capacity is huge, and adding Huawei to the Entity List won’t have a huge impact on us. We are making progress in bidding worldwide,” Zhengfei said.

Zhengfei highlighted in the first quarter of this year, Huawei’s revenue grew 39 percent over the same period last year.

“This rate decreased to 25 percent in April, and may continue decreasing towards the end of this year. But the US ban will not lead to negative growth or harm the development of our industry,” he said.

Avon Justine Group Vice President Turkey, Middle East and Africa, Mafahle Mareletse

by MTHULISI SIBANDAJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AVON Justine, the beauty company, has restated its commitment to championing the empowerment of women by aligning its digital platforms.

It is also celebrating the milestones achieved by so many of its independent representatives across its operations in Southern Africa.

According to the 130-year old company that pioneered the direct-selling model in the beauty industry, the direct selling model gives expression to its drive to foster women empowerment and financial independence.

Women are the primary drivers of the beauty industry and Avon Justine believes they should be given an opportunity to reap the benefits of the growth of the beauty and cosmetics industry.

According to the Direct Selling Association’s latest report, the industry consists of 79 percent women and in the last financial year, they were part of the 1,3 million sales representatives in the industry who earned over R4 billion.

“We share the conviction that no country truly ever flourishes if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of 51 percent of its citizens,” said Mafahle Mareletse, Group Vice President Turkey, Middle East and Africa (TMEA).

Mareletse said this was more apt in the countries of Southern Africa where the company operates, which are battling the scourge of domestic abuse and gender-based violence.

“We believe that financial independence is one of the most potent tools to combat patriarchy, stimulate economic growth and empower women,” Mareletse added.

Nishani Singh, Commercial Transformation Director at Avon Justine, outlined the company’s digital transformation journey and shared the milestones achieved thus far to align the company to the digital age.

Direct Deliveries is a digital store feature for customers. It was introduced earlier this year.

“The journey is just the beginning. We will continue to pilot and launch new functionalities and innovations to help support our beauty entrepreneurs to unlock their full earnings potential,” Singh said.

Avon Justine on Thursday unveiled the inaugural rewards programme, where six top performing sales representatives in the past quarter from across sub-Saharan Africa, drove away with a luxury car, each worth over R170 000.

“Our sales representatives are the engine of our growth, and it is only fitting that we incentivize and reward them for the hard work they are doing in growing Avon Justine products and making it the preferred beauty and cosmetics brand in South Africa,” said Mikey Bicknell, Sales Director for Avon Justine.

from TINO PEPUKAI in Chiredzi, ZimbabweCHIREDZI, (CAJ News) – ZIMBABWEAN cotton farmers are advocating for payment in foreign currency to cushion them from rising costs of producing the crop.

They want an arrangement currently prevailing in the tobacco sector where farmers are paid in United States dollars.

The farmers have formally advised the Cotton Producers and Marketing Association for the farmers to be paid in hard currency.

“We have written a letter to the Cotton Producers and Marketing Association so that the organization approaches the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) in order for us to be paid in dollars like tobacco farmers,” cotton farmer, Gilbert Gapare, disclosed.

Gilbert Hlanga a cotton farmer from Mkwasine, said, “We are calling on the government to consider this issue of paying us in foreign currency seriously.”

He said the local currency, called the bond note, was losing value regularly.

“We feel we have to be rewarded for our hard work to produce the crop,” added Hlanga.

Luckson Mukochiwa, another farmer, was hopeful the Cotton Producers and Marketing Association would agree to their request.

“Most farmers have a good crop. We hope by the time we finish harvesting the crop, our proposal to be paid in foreign currency will have been given a nod by the government,” Mukochiwa said.

He said the organisation will soon meet with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe officials to discuss the issue.

“We believe farmers have a genuine cause and this has been long overdue,” Mubonderi said.

“We are engaging the RBZ before the onset of the marketing season to finalise this issue,” he said.

Munyaradzi Chikasha, Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) manager for Chiredzi district, told CAJ News they would only be able to pay farmers in foreign currency once government approved and made the money available.

“We will however continue to assist farmers with free farming inputs like what we have been doing all along,” Chikasha said.

from OKORO CHINEDU in Lagos, NigeriaLAGOS, (CAJ News) – TRANSFORMATIONAL technologies have been identified as the solution to traffic and waste management as well as land-related issues in Nigeria.

These are among a number of challenges bedeviling Africa’s most populous country and biggest economy.

Adebayo Sanni, Managing Director of Oracle Nigeria, said the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain represent an unprecedented opportunity for enterprises in the public as well as private sectors to solve the aforementioned problems.

He said for example, in Nigeria, the potential to combine real-time data from IoT devices from intelligent trash bins with historical waste-level of each trash bin could help waste management become smarter; especially for a city like Lagos that generates about 13 000 metric tonnes on a daily basis.

“The entire waste management system can become smarter overtime, learning from the data collected,” Sanni said.

He said such a solution would help an organisation like Lagos Waste Management Authority to make better data-driven decisions for a cleaner city.

This application can be replicated to address traffic management.

The current traffic lights can be IoT enabled to ensure an efficient flow of traffic. The roads can also have sensors and information about road conditions, combined with data coming from road users to provide drivers with real-time traffic information.

With such a system, drivers can be alerted to take alternative roads in case of an accident.

Sanni said a blockchain solution could bring transparency to all stakeholders in the property business for examples.

Government can use such a system to track and ensure the right taxes have been paid to the government for every transaction; buyers can also have peace of mind as all the documents for the transactions can be verified real-time.

“These transformational technologies will bring change – in our professional lives, our personal lives and country as a whole,” Sanni said.

The executive said the question was not when, but how to bring the future forward and empower African governments and businesses to take advantage of the transformative impact of IoT, AI, and blockchain.

The answers, he said, are in the Cloud.

“A technologically enabled future has arrived. It is time to carve your niche in it,” Sanni concluded.

from AHMED ZAYED in Tripoli, LibyaTRIPOLI, (CAJ News) – A four-year conflict between the Libyan central bank and rival branches is threatening to worsen the battle for the capital Tripoli, with at least 300 people dead and thousands displaced during weeks of fighting.

It is feared the financial crisis will hinder efforts to reunify the divided banking system, fuelling prospects of a financial implosion and economic war alongside the military one.

The looming crisis is a direct consequence of a split between the Central Bank in Tripoli and its eastern branch, dating from the broader political divide that emerged in 2014.

Should the Tripoli-based Central Bank freeze operations of two other key commercial banks because of falling reserves, the move could destabilise the east-based government and interrupt funding for Khalifa Haftar-led forces, which are trying to capture Tripoli.

“This would deepen the political divide between competing authorities in east and west and produce severe economic blowback throughout the country,” the International Crisis Group (ICG) warned.

The group said in addition to a ceasefire, Libya’s warring sides should reach an agreement on standardising commercial banking operations in the east and work toward the Central Bank’s reunification.

by SAVIOUS KWINIKAJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – HUAWEI has assured of its commitment to a safe software system, following reports Google has suspended business with the company.

It was reported on Monday that Alphabet Inc’s Google had suspended business that requires the transfer of hardware and software products, except those covered by open source licenses.

In a statement on Monday, the Chinese firm said it had made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world.

“As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefitted both users and the industry,” the company stated.

It added it would continue providing security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that had been sold and that are still in stock globally.

“We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally.”

In a statement, Google said it was complying with United States government orders and reviewing the implications.

It stated for users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect would continue to function on existing Huawei devices.

Following the US ban, Glen Schloss, Huawei Vice President of Corporate Communications, on Friday said Huawei was reviewing the implications of the US action for its customers.

Schloss said Huawei had been developing its own operating system (OS) and while they preferred to continue using Android, which its consumers loved, they had been working on contingencies.

“We have diversified our global supply chain in anticipation of the ban,” he was quoted saying.

by TINTSWALO BALOYIJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – A NEW partnership has been launched to boost financial inclusion in Africa by utilising modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science.

Medina Islamic Finance, an Africa-focused digital Islamic microfinance platform, announced the partnership with United Labs, a New York-based data science venture studio that focuses on social impact in Africa.

Announced at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group in Marrakesh recently, it follows the realization that a majority of the African population (total population estimated at over 1,3 billion) is impoverished and only more than 20 percent has a bank account.

Through the partnership, Medina Islamic Finance will leverage machine learning and data science to further enhance its microfinance digital banking platform.

United Labs will initially provide Medina Islamic Finance with access to AI technology and automated local language customer support systems that will accelerate Medina’s underwriting while improving customer support.

“We are excited to collaborate with United Labs and to bring next-generation technology to Islamic finance customers,” said Wagane Diouf, founder and CEO of Medina Islamic Finance.

He added, “Seventy-five percent of the African population live on less than $10 a day and only 24 percent of Africans have a bank account. Medina Islamic Finance aims to address these challenges through innovative and ethical solutions.”

Medina Islamic Finance plans to roll out its suite of ethical banking solutions in key targeted African countries in partnership with several established financial institutions later this year.

Its microfinance digital banking platform will support microfinance customers, especially the youth and women, with ethical banking solutions such as interest-free loans, equity-based financing and housing.

Bachir Diagne, Chief Investment Officer and co-founder of United Labs, said Medina Islamic Finance had created a unique ecosystem including mobile network operators and banking and payment infrastructure.

“We are proud to support this inclusive ecosystem with our data science technology solutions and to boost financial inclusion in Africa,” Diagne said.

from PEDRO AGOSTO in Luanda, AngolaLUANDA, (CAJ News) – THE controversial firing of the head of Angola’s state energy giant has underlined President Jose Lourenco’s eagerness to cement his grip on power, crush dissenting voices in his increasingly divided ruling party and brought the purported anti-corruption campaign into the spotlight.

Carlos Saturnino, dismissed as chairperson of Sonangol, is the latest executive to feel the wrath of the leader who is becoming more and more trigger-happy.

Critics have also questioned the timing around Saturnino’s dismissal, while his replacement of an individual seen as a blue-eyed boy of Manuel Vicente, one of the most influential, if not controversial, politicians in the oil-rich Southern African country has further raised eyebrows.

At face value, Saturnino’s downfall is the aftermath of a fallout from an embarrassing fuel shortage that has left the country in dire scarcity of the commodity despite Angola being the second biggest producer of crude oil in the African continent after Nigeria.

A statement from the Presidency blamed “lack of dialogue and communication between Sonangol and the different state institutions.”

The president has not stated publicly the reason to sack the man who replaced the also-dismissed Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Lourenco’s predecessor, Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

She was dismissed in late 2017 following accusations of fraud.

She denied the charges, which critics argued were a ploy by the incoming president to tighten his grip on power from the former leader.

Saturnino’s dismissal has also been shrouded in some mystery.

“Ostensibly, the latter (Saturnino) has been made the scapegoat of the fuel crisis in the capital Luanda and other cities around the country,” stated the business risk intelligence firm, EXX Africa.

Sonangol blamed “difficulties in accessing currencies to cover costs of importing refined products, high debt of the main clients of the industrial segment and systematic failures in cabotage vessels.”

Sources disclosed Saturnino was an opponent to the restructuring of Sonangol, one of the signature projects of Lourenco.

Another think-tank, Africa Intelligence Excellency (AIE), said the pick of Sebastião Gaspar Martins, a veteran engineer with 40 years-experience at Sonangol, showed the influence former Sonangol chair, Vicente, wields in Angola’s political economy.

With a beleaguered reputation, is the advisor to Lourenco.

He chaired Sonangol from 1999 to 2012.

Vicente was the country’s Vice President from 2012-2017, when Lourenco was the Minister of Defence.

Martins meanwhile is the former understudy of Vecente’s at Sonangol.

He was general manager from 1999 to 2000, then chair of its exploration and production entity, Sonagol P&P, then board member from 2010 to 2013. That was before he headed Somoil, a company that bigwigs of the ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) founded in the 1990s.

Somoil retains stakes in offshore oil blocks and interests in onshore production permits. There are concerns Somoil’s links to Martins and Vicente, could see it improperly benefit from Sonangol’s asset sales.

The industry experts pointed at the timing of the expulsion of Saturnino coinciding with Sonangol’s extensive asset divestments.

AIE noted it came as energy companies from Russia eyed opportunities in Angola.

“Russian energy giants are looking to snap up big contracts as Putin Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin) and Lourenco, seem to enter a honeymoon period,” it stated.

“There is ample precedent indicating that Angola’s new ruling elite is seeking to capitalise on positions of patronage, while the country’s embattled president is facing off ruling party rifts and the prospect of mounting unrest over IMF-(International Monetary Fund) -mandated austerity measures,” EXX Africa stated.

IMF has dissuaded Angola from its extravagant public spending. Despite his purported commitment to reduce government spending, Lourenco’s administration is synonymous for chartered planes and hefty military spending – in a country that is battling a foreign and domestic debt estimated at nearly $80 billion (R1.2 trillion).

IMF earlier this year intervened to stop a bid to acquire 15 Bombardier and Boeing aircraft for TAAG Angola, the national airline, noting it infringed Angola’s compliance with the goals spelt in the IMF Extended Credit Facility.

Loyalists of dos Santos are making the most of the escalating grievances of the populace over the economic malaise.

The changes at Sonangol also cast doubts on the credence of Lourenco’s clampdown on corruption, which critics argue is aimed at ridding government and MPLA of dos Santos’s associates.

The assets in question were under the Sovereign Fund name and ownership all along. Angola lost the court case because there was no mismanagement proven.

The United Kingdom High Court stated that the Angolan government omitted relevant information to it (court).

There had in fact been no grounds for the arrests of de Morais and dos Santos’ son.

Attorney General Hélder Pitta Grós, conceded their case was weak.

“We had nothing and we preferred to release Mr Bastos,” he was quoted on video.

None of the ex-president’s children have been convicted but there are indications Lourenco is still eager to purge the former first family.

Daughter, Welwitschia dos Santos, has fled to the United Kingdom, fearing for her life after alleged threats by the secret service.

A ruling party MP, she has previously demanded Lourenco’s resignation.

“This gives credibility of the dismissal of the anti-graft crusade as a determination to hound out dos Santos children and loyalists out of the government, out of the party and now out of the country,” said Socio-political analyst, Dominique Jordão, said.

The prospect look dim, with strikes and protests projected, especially in the cities where people are worst affected by the economic slide. A split in the MPLA thus would exacerbate the situation in a country that suffered 27 years of civil war after independence in 1975.